“The chaos in Afghanistan continues to shock the democratic world,” Prime Minister Kallas stated. “As a nation, we wish to contribute to resolving the humanitarian crisis that has arisen in Afghanistan. Currently, Estonia is willing to provide asylum for up to 10 people – namely, the people whose lives are in danger in their home due to their cooperation with the European Union or NATO, as well as their immediate family members. We also wish to help those who have cooperated with us through Mondo. The exact number of people to whom Estonia can provide international protection will be specified in the coming days.”
For years, the non-governmental organisation Mondo has been involved in supporting the social development of Afghanistan through promoting women’s health and the education of girls. For example, thanks to their activities, nearly 120 midwives have been trained in Afghanistan.
The security situation in Afghanistan is changing rapidly. After the removal of allied forces, Taliban has taken control of all major cities in Afghanistan, including the capital Kabul, which fell under Taliban control on Sunday.
“The security situation in Afghanistan directly affects Europe and the rest of the world. The worse the situation of Afghanistani civilians and the more they suffer, the larger the wave of people fleeing the country,” said Eva-Maria Liimets, Minister of Foreign Affairs. “Citizens of Afghanistan already rank second in terms of asylum applicants in the EU.”
The minister added that by granting international protection to those evacuated from Afghanistan, Estonia, alongside the member states of the EU and NATO, fulfils its duty to the people that helped us and that we will need to continue international pressure to prevent further violence and human rights violations targeting the peaceful civilians of the country.
